Idol Dan 'robbed' by clock

Queensland Premier Peter Beattie has demanded the producers of
Australian Idol reinstate a Brisbane-based performer whose
fans say was a victim of daylight robbery.

Dan England, 21, was booted off the Ten Network's TV talent
competition this week in controversy after the introduction of
daylight saving meant voting lines closed an hour earlier in
Queensland.

Queensland remains on Australian Eastern Standard Time, which is
an hour behind its southern state neighbours and half an hour
behind South Australia.

Just 27 votes separated the dreadlocked singer and Melbourne
punk rocker Lee Harding in the closest vote in Idol history.

Queensland voters jammed radio stations and internet chat forums
over the result, questioning whether daylight saving cost England
his place and venting anger over being barred from lodging last
minute votes.

Mr Beattie today vented his own anger, saying England's dumping
was unfair because Queenslanders had one hour less to vote.

"I'm asking Channel 10 to wake up to themselves to turn back the
clock to Monday and give him a fair go.

"Now if they do, I'm sure that I could find 27 votes within an
hour."

It was "well past its time" that a Queenslander won the
Australian Idol title, he said.

A Ten Network spokeswoman said the show had no comment.

"Dan is now out of the competition and has got an agent," she
said.

Mr Beattie's demand came as anger over daylight saving, and its
effect on England's vote, spilled into Queensland's parliament.

While opponents of daylight saving have said it fades the
curtains, confuses cows and makes it hard to put babies to sleep,
another MP came up with perhaps the best excuse yet - a lack of
daylight saving was robbing Queensland contestants of the chance to
win Australian Idol.

"With only 27 votes determining the result, it must be asked: If
Queensland had daylight saving, would Dan still be in the race to
become the Australian Idol?" Liberal MP Michael Caltabiano
told parliament.

"The logic of the answer would suggest yes."

Mr Caltabiano, whose party's support for daylight saving was at
odds with its Nationals coalition partner, said there would have
been one more hour of votes from Queensland Australian Idol
fans if the state was in the same time zone as the rest of the
eastern states.

"This government and its attitude towards not acknowledging the
benefits of daylight saving, particularly for the south-east
corner, and completely ruling it out has resulted in another
casualty - that of dreadlocked Dan England," he said.

Mr Beattie has refused to budge or even hold a referendum on the
issue, despite 53,638 people signing an e-petition calling for
legislation to enact daylight saving in Queensland.